Ellen Corby

Biography: By the time she first appeared as Grandma Walton in 1971, American actress Ellen Corby had been playing elderly characters for nearly thirty years--and she herself was still only in her fifties. The daughter of Danish immigrants, Ellen Hansen was born in Wisconsin and raised in Philadelphia; she moved to Hollywood in 1933 after winning several amateur talent shows. Her starring career consisted of tiny parts in low-budget Poverty Row quickies; to make a living, Ellen became a script girl (the production person responsible for maintaining a film's continuity for the benefit of the film editor), working first at RKO and then at Hal Roach studios, where she met and married cameraman Francis Corby. The marriage didn't last, though Ellen retained the last name of Corby professionally. While still a script girl, Ellen began studying at the Actors Lab, then in 1944 decided to return to acting full time. She played several movie bit roles, mostly as servants, neurotics, and busybodies,By the time she first appeared as Grandma Walton in 1971, American actress Ellen Corby had been playing elderly characters for nearly thirty years--and she herself was still only in her fifties. The daughter of Danish immigrants, Ellen Hansen was born in Wisconsin and raised in Philadelphia; she moved to Hollywood in 1933 after winning several amateur talent shows. Her starring career consisted of tiny parts in low-budget Poverty Row quickies; to make a living, Ellen became a script girl (the production person responsible for maintaining a film's continuity for the benefit of the film editor), working first at RKO and then at Hal Roach studios, where she met and married cameraman Francis Corby. The marriage didn't last, though Ellen retained the last name of Corby professionally. While still a script girl, Ellen began studying at the Actors Lab, then in 1944 decided to return to acting full time. She played several movie bit roles, mostly as servants, neurotics, and busybodies, before earning an Oscar nomination for the role of Trina the maid in I Remember Mama (1948). Her career fluctuated between bits and supporting parts until 1971, when she was cast as Grandma Walton in the CBS movie special The Homecoming. This one-shot evolved into the dramatic series The Waltons in 1972, with Ms. Corby continuing as Grandma. The role earned Ellen a "Best Supporting Actress" Emmy award in 1973, and she remained with the series until suffering a debilitating stroke in 1976. After a year's recuperation, Ellen returned to The Waltons, valiantly carrying on until the series' 1980 cancellation, despite the severe speech and movement restrictions imposed by her illness. Happily, Ellen Corby endured, and was back as Grandma in the Waltons reunion special of the early '90s. Expand

Ellen Corby's Scores

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Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd The Waltons: Season 9 Nov 27, 1980 Grandma Esther Walton / Actor / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 8 Sep 20, 1979 Grandma Esther Walton / Grandma Esther Walton / Actor / Esther Walton / Grandma Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 7 Sep 21, 1978 Grandma Esther Walton / Grandma Esther Walton / Esther Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 6 Sep 15, 1977 Grandma Esther Walton / Esther Walton / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 5 Sep 23, 1976 Grandma Esther Walton / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 4 Sep 11, 1975 Grandma Esther Walton / Actor / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 3 Sep 12, 1974 Grandma Esther Walton / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 2 Sep 13, 1973 Grandma Esther Walton / Actor / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Waltons: Season 1 Sep 14, 1972 Grandma Esther Walton / Actor / Esther Walton / Esther `Grandma' Walton tbd
tbd The Odd Couple: Season 1 Sep 24, 1970 Florence tbd
tbd Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: Season 5 Sep 27, 1968 Mother tbd
tbd Ironside: Season 2 Sep 19, 1968 Ellen Corby / Gladys Prescott tbd
tbd Batman (1966): Season 3 Sep 14, 1967 Mrs. Green tbd
tbd Laredo: Season 2 Sep 16, 1966 Actor tbd
tbd Get Smart: Season 1 Sep 18, 1965 Agnes tbd
tbd The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Season 3 Oct 5, 1964 Chief Nurse tbd
tbd Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: Season 1 Sep 25, 1964 Mother tbd
tbd The Beverly Hillbillies: Season 3 Sep 23, 1964 Poke tbd
tbd The Donna Reed Show: Season 7 Sep 17, 1964 Christine tbd
tbd The Lucy Show: Season 2 Sep 30, 1963 Miss Tanner tbd
tbd The Andy Griffith Show: Season 3 Oct 1, 1962 Myrt Lesch tbd
tbd The Lucy Show: Season 1 Oct 1, 1962 Woman In Park tbd
tbd Bonanza: Season 4 Sep 23, 1962 Cora tbd
tbd Bonanza: Season 1 Sep 12, 1959 Lorna Doone Mayberry 8.0
tbd Perry Mason: Season 2 Sep 20, 1958 Old Lady Gambler tbd
tbd I Love Lucy: Season 6 Oct 1, 1956 Miss Hanna tbd